


One Last Requiem

by dramaticbanjo



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Minor adjustments to canon, Post Requiem of the Wreckers, hey kids lets talk about death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 12:35:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18469096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dramaticbanjo/pseuds/dramaticbanjo
Summary: Instead of parting ways immediately, Springer and Verity take the long trip to let someone know about Impactor's final fate.





	One Last Requiem

**Author's Note:**

> Minor adjustments to the end of RotW: Springer didn't leave immediately, and they did some more traveling together. You know how it is.  
> I honestly can't remember if Xaaron left the LL or stayed onboard (I think he did but hmmm) so I guess there's the minor adjustment to MTMTE that he stayed on Cybertron sometime after Dark Cybertron.
> 
> Good? Good.

            “How you doing, Verity? Is the suit holding up fine?”

            “You know, Springer, that’s the third time you’ve asked me if I’m alright in the past fifteen minutes. Maybe it should be _me_ asking _you_ if you’re alright.”

Inside his helicopter cockpit, Verity settled back into the seat, the helmet of her Wreckers suit sitting on her lap, “I’m not even outside right now, so—spill. What’s bothering you? Beyond the obvious, I guess.”

Springer let out an amused huff, flying easily across the skies of Cybertron, the quieter portion of Iacon a welcome change from the traffic of the rest of the city. “The whole thing with Tarantulas I’m still processing, but I’m getting through it. Dealing with the Wreckers’ sordid history? I’m also getting through that as well.” He paused for a moment, easily rounding a tower, “…I’m still getting through Kup’s death too. That one—that might take longer.”

            “You can take as long as you need. He was important to you.”

            “…And now Impactor.” Springer made a sighing sound through his engine, “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about him still.”

            “You’re allowed to feel a lot of different things about the same person—considering what’s happened between you and him, I would be surprised if sorting out everything about him could be simple.” She offered him a small smile, reaching out with one hand to pat the console of the helicopter, “…Isn’t that why we’re here, taking this little trip?”

            “Heh, yeah, you’re probably right.” Springer slowed in the air, steadily descending as he did so, “We’re here—at least, according to the directions I got.”

As he touched down on the landing, Verity put on the helmet to her suit and jumped out of the helicopter, letting him transform into his robot form. Feeling very small, she turned on his heel to take in the area.

            “Remind me again… Who was it we planned on talking to? Are they a Wrecker?”

            “He’s not, but he’s been involved with the us for a while. He’s known Impactor since the Wreckers started.”

She glanced up at him, tipping her head back to reach his face, “And you want to let him know…?”

            “I thought—Well, I thought if anyone deserved a face-to-face explanation, it was him.”

The sound of metallic footsteps attracted their attention as a gold and silver Autobot approached, a friendly smile on his face. He didn’t seem at all intimidated by Springer almost towering over him, nor did he seem taken aback by Verity’s much smaller appearance, and once he was close enough, he held out his hand in greeting.

            “Well, its nice to see you again, Springer!”

            “Emirate Xaaron, its good to see you’re still in good health.”

Xaaron chuckled easily as Springer shook his hand, “I’m feeling as well as someone my age can.” His gaze shifted down to Verity, “And you must be the human Wrecker I’ve heard about.”

            “I didn’t know you were still keeping tabs on the team.” Springer sounded surprised, which only made Xaaron laugh again.

Below them, Verity waved, “I’m Verity Carlo. Nice to meet you, uh, Emirate..?”

            “Just Xaaron, please. The title’s more or less empty now.” He turned his attention back towards Springer, expression turning serious, “As pleasant as it is to talk on my landing pad, I get the feeling you didn’t come all this way together just to comment on my health.”

Springer managed a terse nod, and Xaaron stepped back, gesturing for them to follow him back to his home. After a brief moment, Springer knelt to let Verity climb onto his hand, before straightening up and hurrying after the smaller Autobot.

 

            The inside of Xaaron’s home was plain and somewhat empty, as if he had just moved in and hadn’t started putting any personal touches into the place. As Springer stood awkwardly near the entryway, Xaaron made his way over to an Energon dispenser, filling up two cubes and then stepping over to the couches he had near a large window.

            “I would say make yourself at home, but I’ve barely done that myself.” Xaaron chuckled at his own joke, lowering himself into one of the couches with a sigh, “At least sit. Although, I must apologize, Verity, I don’t have anything for organics to eat.”

Stiffly, Springer took the offered seat, and held his hand still so Verity could jump to the back of the seat, sitting so she was at least somewhat level with the two of them. Across from him, Xaaron handed over one of the cubes, before taking a small sip of his own.

            “…Well, I suppose there’s no dancing around the Titan in the room, is there?” He said quietly, optics downcast at his Energon rather than the two of them, “He’s dead, isn’t he? Impactor.”

If he was surprised at Xaaron knowing the reason for their visit, Springer didn’t let it show, “Yes. He is. Were you keeping tabs on him, at least?”

            “No, I stopped being connected to the Wreckers in an official sense a long time ago. It was just a feeling I had.” Xaaron fell quiet, his gaze still elsewhere, and when he spoke again, he sounded as if he was speaking to himself rather than the pair of them, “Despite my age, we always said he would die first… One of the risks of being a Wrecker, I suppose.”

From her perch, Verity tilted her head to the side quizzically, “Were you guys close? I didn’t think—I didn’t think Impactor was close to a lot of other people.”

            “Oh, he wasn’t—too gruff and abrasive. Thought with his fists too much when his temper flared up.” Xaaron took another drink, “He certainly hated me when we first met. Granted, I purposefully made myself as much of a nuisance as possible back then, and made a point to needle him as much as possible… He threatened to leave me to the Decepticons several times, even when he trying to rescue me.”

            “That does sound like him.” Springer admitted, and Verity held back a snort at the image of the large and bulky Impactor being wheedled by the smaller Xaaron. His comment made Xaaron laugh, although it was tinged with melancholy this time.

            “Hard to believe we ended up where we are—well, _were_ , I suppose.” The Emirate returned to drinking his Energon, and Verity glanced over to Springer, curiosity written across her face.

            “You guys ended up how? Even after picking at each other?” She asked, glancing between her friend and the other Cybertronian, “Like—what was the word—married?”

            “Conjuxes? Yes.” Xaaron answered simply, “We were. Is that surprising?”

Verity bit her lip, shrugging, fiddling with one of the armor’s gauntlets to give her hands something to do, “A little.”

            “I’m not offended. You wouldn’t be the first to be surprised by it.” Xaaron set his Energon cube aside on the arm of his seat, “…May I ask what happened to him?”

            “It’s… it’s what we came to tell you, actually.” Springer’s voice was measured, as if he was choosing his words carefully, “I figured that you of all people deserved to at least get the news from someone who was there.”

            “I appreciate that.”

Despite that, Springer was silent for another minute, and Verity reached over to place her small hand on his shoulder armor comfortingly.

            “I killed Impactor.” His voice was quiet, but in the bare room, it seemed to echo all around them. Xaaron’s face didn’t show any change in emotion, but he didn’t look at either of them, instead settling his gaze on the untouched cube of Energon in Springer’s hands.

Finally, he spoke, voice unwavering, “Go on.”

Verity and him hadn’t planned on what to say; he had been trying not to think about how the enigmatic Emirate might react; he had been trying not to think about how he shot one of the mentors that helped turn him into an Autobot and ripped another’s Conjux away from them.

At the two small words from Xaaron, Springer ended up telling everything.

Verity kept her hand on his armor, joining in when he reached parts that he wasn’t there for, or when his vocalizer reset itself, armor clamping down on his body with his tense emotions.

Throughout the entire thing, Xaaron didn’t look at either of them, optics dimmed as he took in their words.

When it ended, Springer trailed off into silence, still tensed for any sort of reaction, and Xaaron’s optics slowly brightened. Slowly, he raised his helm to look Springer in the optic, and gave him a small smile, an oddly fragile expression for the older mech, “I see. So that’s what happened. I must thank you, then, for coming back to tell me.”

Springer blinked in surprise, almost letting go of the Energon cube in his hands, “Are you—I mean, I… I…”

            “Were you afraid I would blame you for his death?” Xaaron’s voice was gentle, carrying an undercurrent of sadness, “That I would cast you out of my home, cursing that you didn’t do enough to save him?” He let out a small sigh, “I would be lying if I said a part of my processor wasn’t twisted up in anguish, stuck in the ‘what ifs’ and ‘could have beens,’ but I know Impactor. He chose that life. And we both knew when we bonded as Conjux that he would always meet his end there.” He stood, stepping closer and putting a hand on Springer’s shoulder, opposite of Verity, “You aren’t to blame. Thank you, both of you, for telling me what happened to him.”

 


End file.
